NEW VeriSafe™
Absence Of Voltage Tester–Improving Efficiency AndReducing Costs
New Technology For The Factory Floor
That Automates Absence Of Voltage TestingReducing Time, Complexity, And Costs

WHITE PAPER

More Meaningful Connections

When servicing electrical equipment, workers must comply
with safety regulations that require a voltage verification
test to validate the absence of voltage. This process requires
strict adherence to prevent accidents and bodily injury,
but includes many stages that can be complex and timeconsuming when using hand-held portable test instruments.
This paper examines the costs and limitations involved withusing a manual absence of voltage tester. It also describes
a new technology for the factory floor that automates theprocess, reducing time, complexity, and costs.

2WHITE PAPER – VeriSafe Absence of Voltage Tester–Improving Efficiency and Reducing Costs

More Meaningful Connections

Historical Costs of Checking for
Absence of Voltage
Numerous studies exist pertaining to injuries resulting from electric
shock and arc flash events. These studies recognize that establishing
the economic payoffs of prevention is a critical factor in promoting
workplace safety. Besides personal injury, the costs of property andequipment damage need to be considered. Although estimates vary,studies have shown that the average direct cost of an electrical injury
ranges from about US $50,000 to US $80,0001, while the indirect costcan exceed the direct cost by a factor of nearly four2. Direct costs include
lost wages or workers’ compensation payments, medical expenditures,and legal expenses. Indirect costs include:• wages paid during work stoppage• administrative costs related to injury• property damage and repair• training and compensation for replacement workers• lost productivity with less experienced workers• fines related to workplace safety violations• potential increase in absenteeism• decrease in morale
Electrical injuries have one of the highest average workers’ compensation
costs, second only to motor vehicle accidents3.

3

WHITE PAPER – VeriSafe Absence of Voltage Tester–Improving Efficiency and Reducing Costs

Injuries from contact with
exposed wiring, transformers,
or other electricalcomponents frequently occur
in the workplace and involve
construction, installation,
maintenance, and repair
workers. These injuries areoften costly and serious, asdemonstrated by the numberof days away from work; 51%of workers missed over one
week of work due to theseinjuries, with 40% missing
two weeks or more4,5.

More Meaningful Connections

Limitations of Using a Hand-held Tester
Verifying the absence of voltage is part of the process to establish anelectrically safe work condition. Step 5 of NFPA 70E-2015 Article 120.56
describes this process:Use an adequately rated test instrument to test each phase conductor
or circuit part to verify it is de-energized. Test each phase conductor or
circuit part both phase-to-phase and phase-to-ground. Before and after
each test, determine that the test instrument is operating satisfactorily
through verification on a known voltage source.
This process usually involves a portable, hand-held voltage test
instrument. To be effective, it is critical to perform each step of theprocess in sequence, and it requires taking the necessary precautions,such as the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) (Figure 1).

Complexity
Adhering to this process prevents electrical injuries, but the process iscomplex and time consuming. Portable instruments are susceptible tomechanical and electrical failure and misuse by the person using thedevice. In addition, because the process of using a hand-held tester isdependent on human input, interaction, and interpretation, it is vulnerable
to mistakes and errors.

Training Costs
Training on the selection, maintenance, and use of test instruments
is crucial as are systems for inspecting and maintaining voltage test
instruments. However, training and maintaining the test equipment
incur the additional expenses of time and cost.

Safety Is In Your Hands:
The Risks of Voltage
Testing

18.3% 7

36.7%

Facilities experienced aReported near misses
personal injury whenof personal injury
using hand-held voltage
test instruments

411.7%

Facilities experienced
interruptions to plant
operations due tovoltage testing incidents

WHITE PAPER – VeriSafe Absence of Voltage Tester–Improving Efficiency and Reducing Costs

Figure 1. Absence of voltage test using ahand-held voltage test instrument.

More Meaningful Connections

Electrical Safety
A disadvantage of implementing a voltage verification test with ahand-held tester is that the person performing it may be exposed toelectrical hazards while verifying that the tester is working prior to andafter the test, and during the test if the equipment was not de-energized.
With such a significant emphasis on performing work only on
de-energized equipment, it is ironic that best practice relies on PPE andexposure to hazards before de-energized work begins. The need for PPE
is a significant contributor to the overall time to carry out this process
because the worker must first determine the required PPE, then obtain,inspect, dress, and properly store it after use. Additionally, PPE can bemisused or not used at all, especially when there are time constraints.

Risky Business: Potential Electrical
Hazards Exist When Performing
Absence of Voltage Testing

TRADITIONAL METHODTRADITIONAL
Determining
absenceMETHODof voltage with
Determining absence of voltage withhand-held
testersa riskhand-held
testers presents
presents a riskof ofexposure
electrical hazards
exposure
totoelectricalhazards

WHITE PAPER – VeriSafe Absence of Voltage Tester–Improving Efficiency and Reducing Costs

TER

E T TEESST TTE HE
R TES
TH

RE-TEST THE TESTERTESTE5G
TA

Even when hazards are part of the everyday routine, deviations from asafety procedure can slowly become accepted practice. These deviations
are particularly evident when there are time pressures, which is often
the case when electrical maintenance causes unplanned or excessive
downtime. If either training or enforcement of administrative proceduresis lacking, the effectiveness of the procedures will diminish.

LGE VOTAOL HE
EVK TTHK EC
EC H
CH C

When processes are overly complex or time-consuming, workers tend tobecome complacent and develop shortcuts as practices become routine.
A normalization of deviance—small, gradual deviations from an establishedpractice—may occur over time. With the lack of negative consequences,the lower standard eventually becomes the norm8,9.

RE-TEST THE TESTER

More Meaningful Connections

A More Efficient Way to Test for Voltage–
VeriSafe™ Absence of Voltage Tester (AVT)Minimize Your Risk

The VeriSafe AVT automates the voltage verification process and is thefirst AVT tailored for electrical enclosures (Figure 2). By automating thisprocess, the VeriSafe AVT features the following:• Tests without exposure to harmful voltages/currents• Self-contained; no additional meters or tools are needed

VERISAFE
AVTVERISAFE AVT
TMTM

Prevents
direct exposure to electrical
Prevents direct exposure to electricalhazards
anddetermines
voltagehazards anddetermines voltage
beforeequipment is accessed.
statusstatus
beforeequipmentis accessed.

• Built-in pre-/post-verification test
• Tests phase-to-phase and phase-to-groundCH• Automated test sequence

ECRTEST

RE-TEST THE TESTER

TE• High risk associated with accessE• Equipment with a single source of incoming power

TH

The VeriSafe AVT is applicable for several applications:GTA

E T TEESST TTE HER TES• Rated safety integrity level (SIL) 3 per IEC 61508

E• Supports compliance with NFPA 70E-2018 Article 120.5

LGE VOTAOL HE
EV TTH CKCHK• Active indication for absence of voltage• Equipment with high incident energy• Remote or difficult to access locations – Outdoor, mezzanine, catwalk• Sites with temporary or intermittent power• Equipment with stored electrical energy – VFDs, capacitors, etc.
• Equipment frequently serviced by third-party technicians or contractors

Figure 2. VeriSafe AVT.

6

WHITE PAPER – VeriSafe Absence of Voltage Tester–Improving Efficiency and Reducing Costs

RE-TEST THE TESTER

More Meaningful Connections

NFPA 70E
One of the major changes to the 2018 edition of NFPA 70E involves the new requirements that allow
an installed AVT to be used instead of a hand-held voltage tester. When the VeriSafe™ AVT is used inconjunction with a Lockout/Tagout Program, it meets the requirements for the process described in
NFPA 70E-2018 Article 120.5:
Exception No. 1: An adequately rated permanently mounted test device shall be permitted to be used
to verify the absence of voltage of the conductors or circuit parts at the work location, provided itmeets the following requirements:a) It is permanently mounted and installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions andtests the conductors and circuit parts at the point of workb) It is listed and labeled to verify the absence of voltage10c) It tests each phase conductor or circuit part both phase-to-phase and phase-to-groundd) The test device is verified as operating satisfactorily on any known voltage source before and after
verifying the absence of voltage

Portable Testers

Figure 3. Comparison of the VeriSafe AVT and portable device testing methods.

SelectTester

Test
theTester

Checkfor
Voltage

RetesttheTester

PerformWork

VeriSafe™ Absence ofVoltage Tester

Possible Exposure to Electrical Hazards

Test
theTester

VerifyInstallation

Checkfor
Voltage

VerifyInstallation

Automatically Performed in Sequence
No Exposure to Electrical Hazards

7Open
Panel

Activate the VeriSafe™ AVT

WHITE PAPER – VeriSafe Absence of Voltage Tester–Improving Efficiency and Reducing CostsRetesttheTester

More Meaningful Connections

VeriSafe AVT - The Safe, Efficient, Accurate
Way to Verify
Integrating the VeriSafe™ AVT is a vital improvement to absence of voltage
testing. A solid testing method helps create a reliable, safe, cost-effective
system that workers can use as needed. The VeriSafe™ AVT verifies theabsence of voltage before equipment is accessed, making it easier for
qualified electrical workers to determine an electrically safe environment
in a fraction of the time required by hand-held portable test instruments.
am Power: Ostre
N
Up

When no voltage is detected,indicators are not illuminatedThis does not guarantee theabsence of voltage.

URED indicates hazardous ACvoltage is present.

pst re am P o w e r:

OFGREEN indicates theabsence of voltage isverified.

am Power: OFF
stre
UpU

F
YELLOW caution indicator
flashes when the test button ispressed and the test is initiated.

pst re a:m Po w er

OFF

Visit http://www.panduit.com/verisafe for more information.
R. B. Campbell and D. A. Dini, Occupational Injuries from Electrical Shock and Arc Flash Events. Quincy, MA: Fire Protection Research Foundation, 2015.
F. A. Manuele, “Accident costs: Rethinking ratios of indirect to direct costs,” Prof. Safety, pp. 39–47, Jan. 2011.
I. B. Horwitz and B. P. McCall, “An epidemiological and risk analysis of Virginia workers’ compensation burn claims 1999 to 2002: Identifying and prioritizing preventative workplace interventions,”
J. Occup. Environ. Med., vol. 49, no. 12, pp. 1376–1385, 2007.
4
Bureau of Labor Statistics. Injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. [Online]. Available: http://www.bls.gov/iif/data.htm
5U.S. Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics census of fatal occupational injuries. [Online]. Available: http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfoi1 .htm
6Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace 2015 Edition, NFPA 70E, 2015.
7
H. L. Floyd and B. J. Nenninger, “Personnel Safety and Plant Reliability Considerations in the Selection and Use of Voltage Test Instruments,” IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, vol. 33, no. 2,pp. 367-373, 1997.
8A. Johnson. (2011, Nov. 1). Not an easy task. Safety+Health. [Online]. Available: http://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/not-an-easytask-2
9J. Wettstein. (2013, Oct. 24). When safety shortcuts become the norm. [Online]. Available: http://www.safetyrisk.net/when-safety-shortcutsbecome-the-norm/
10Only AVTs listed to UL 1436 as an AVT meet this requirement.
1238

WHITE PAPER – VeriSafe Absence of Voltage Tester–Improving Efficiency and Reducing Costs

Since 1955, Panduit’s culture of curiosity and passion for problem solving have enabled more meaningful connections between companies’
business goals and their marketplace success. Panduit creates leading-edge physical, electrical, and network infrastructure solutions forenterprise-wide environments, from the data center to the telecom room, from the desktop to the plant floor. Headquartered inTinley Park, IL, USA and operating in 112 global locations, Panduit’s proven reputation for quality and technology leadership,coupled with a robust partner ecosystem, help support, sustain, and empower business growth in a connected world.

For more information
Visit us at www.panduit.com/verisafe
Contact Panduit North America Customer Service by email: cs@panduit.com
or by phone: 800.777.3300

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS WHITE PAPER IS INTENDED AS A GUIDE FOR USE BY PERSONS HAVING TECHNICAL SKILL AT THEIR OWN DISCRETION AND RISK. BEFORE USING ANYPANDUIT PRODUCT, THE BUYER MUST DETERMINE THE SUITABILITY OF THE PRODUCT FOR HIS/HER INTENDED USE AND BUYER ASSUMES ALL RISK AND LIABILITY WHATSOEVER IN CONNECTIONTHEREWITH. PANDUIT DISCLAIMS ANY LIABILITY ARISING FROM ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN OR FOR ABSENCE OF THE SAME.

All Panduit products are subject to the terms, conditions, and limitations of its then current Limited Product Warranty, which can be found at www.panduit.com/warranty.

PANDUIT US/CANADA
Phone: 800.777.3300

PANDUIT EUROPE LTD.
London, UK
cs-emea@panduit.com
Phone: 44.20.8601.7200

PANDUIT SINGAPORE PTE. LTD.
Republic of Singapore
cs-ap@panduit.com
Phone: 65.6305.7575

PANDUIT JAPANTokyo, Japancs-japan@panduit.com
Phone: 81.3.6863.6000

PANDUIT LATIN AMERICA
Guadalajara, Mexico
cs-la@panduit.com
Phone: 52.33.3777.6000

PANDUIT AUSTRALIA PTY. LTD.
Victoria, Australia
cs-aus@panduit.com
Phone: 61.3.9794.9020©2017 Panduit Corp. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. SFAT03--SA-ENG 10/2017